Time Machine: 40 years ago, Ravinos find new location after being banished from Vail Mountain
10 years ago
March 26, 2013
Vail was nearly at capacity as Easter and Spring Break crowds arrived in town.
“100 percent is about as full as something gets, and the Vail Valley is very close to that this week,” the Vail Daily reported. “A combination of a traditional spring break week, along with Holy Week, the week before Easter, has filled rooms throughout the Vail Valley. Add in the annual Vail Film Festival, and this week could be the high-water mark for the entire ski season.”
More than 2,300 commercial passengers flew into the Eagle County Regional Airport on March 23, 2013, a single-day high for the season.
“Just east of the commercial terminal, the Vail Valley Jet Center has also handled a number of private jets, many of which have Mexican, Venezuelan or Brazilian registration numbers on their tails,” the Vail Daily reported.
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20 years ago
March 18-21, 2003
A massive snowstorm closed Interstate 70 for more than two days between Morrison and Silverthorne, crippling Eagle County.
About 3 feet of “heavy, wet, hard-to-plow snow” fell on the Front Range, the Vail Daily reported, causing I-70 to close from 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18, 2003, to 6 a.m. Friday, March 21.
Just how dependent Eagle County is on Interstate 70 was demonstrated by the closure, the Vail Daily reported.
“The Texaco in Edwards ran out of gas … and Wendy’s in West Vail had to close down because it ran out of food,” the Vail Daily reported. “City Market in Vail ran out of some perishables like strawberries, bananas, eggs and some seafood.”
30 years ago
March 26, 1993
Thousands of April skiers were expected in Vail after the mountain extended its season to April 25, making it one of the longest seasons the mountain had ever hosted after opening on Nov. 6, 1992.
The mountain had enjoyed ample snowfall and word had spread around the country, the Vail Trail reported.
“Even before Vail Associates extended its ski season by one week to April 25, area reservations group employees kept busy taking calls from people around the country who hadn’t forgotten the well-publicized snowfalls in the West this season,” the Vail Trail reported. “Now the groups can promote the extra ski season week, primarily to Front Range residents. However, calls from around the country wanting to know when the ski season ends provide the potential for a blockbuster closing week.”
Vail Daily archive/Vail Trail
40 years ago
March 25, 1983
The Vail Trail published coverage of the Ravinos’ 10th anniversary St. Patrick’s Day party, with pictures of the high-flying Ravinos taking to a new location in East Vail after failing to secure approval of the Meadow Mountain location they had enjoyed the year before.
“After eight years of performing their freestyle jumping show on Vail Mountain, the Ravinos were forced to move the event to Meadow Mountain last year,” the Trail reported.
Prior to 1982, the Ravinos performed inverted aerials on the First Steps cliffs beneath Chair 11 in the Vail Mountain’s Northeast Bowl, but that was banned by Vail Associates because of the inverted aerials performed by skiers, the Trail reported.
“The legal ramifications of a serious injury that could result from inverted maneuvers — which have been banned by all members of the National Ski Areas Association — caused Vail Associates to banish the jumpers from the mountain,” the Trail reported.
The party was not able to be held at Meadow Mountain because Minturn officials complained about parking and traffic problems along Highway 24, so a new location was selected in East Vail above the campgrounds on old Highway 6. But that location also has parking and traffic problems, the Trail reported, quoting District Ranger Ernie Nunn as saying “the parking situation was a disaster” with 2,000 to 3,000 people gathered to watch the show.
“But though he saw some problems, Nunn’s comments weren’t entirely negative,” the Trail reported. “He complimented the crowd on its behavior and the Ravinos for their work to clean up trash afterward.
Nunn also said he was glad those attending had a good time, the Trail reported.
“The events on the mountain went real well,” Nunn said. “And the people viewing those events really enjoyed them. The Ravinos are doing an excellent job on trash pick up, and they plan to return in the spring to pick up any remaining trash.”
50 years ago
March 23, 1973
An idea for an electric bus was presented for Vail by the Electrobus company out of Studio City, California.
The Electrobus company suggested the name “Electroschuss” as a possibility for serving the town’s transportation needs.
“‘Electroschuss’ can become a copyright advertisement for Vail if they consider Electrobus as another alternative to serve their transportation needs,” wrote H.H. Flum, V.P. of Marketing for Electrobus. “Electrobus is a battery powered electric bus that has operated successfully in a series of extensive demonstrations here in California. For one day it was operated in Yosemite National Park and created so much interest that it will be returning to operate during the coming Easter week. Because Electrobus is battery powered, there are no emissions and it is silent.”
